Introduction - Connecticut
The Northeastern state of Connecticut which borders the states of New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, also borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Long Island Sound. From being the birthplace of Mary Kies, who was the first woman to receive a U.S. patent, to being the place where the oldest U.S. newspaper was published, Connecticut has a long list of interesting facts. For example, what all-time favorite candy of kids around the country is made in Orange, Connecticut? Why, it's Pez, of course! When you read the information below, don't miss the interesting historical facts to find out why Connecticut played such important role in the American Revolution.Click here for a great selection of Amazon.com books about Connecticut.
State of Connecticut Quick Facts
- Connecticut was the 5th state to join the union.
- Connecticut officially became a state on January 9, 1788.
- The state capital is Hartford.
- The population of Connecticut is 3,596,080 (source 2013 United States Census Bureau estimate). The most populated city is Bridgeport.
- Connecticut ranks as the 2nd smallest state in the United States, larger than only Delaware and Rhode Island (source 2013 United States Census Bureau estimate).
- The state flower of Connecticut is the Mountain Laurel.
- The most popular state nickname for Connecticut is the Constitution State.
- Although there is no official name, the term sometimes used to describe a resident of this state is Connecticuter.
- Major bodies of water within this US state include the Connecticut River, Housatonic River, Thames River and Lake Candlewood.
- The state song is Yankee Doodle Dandy.
Interesting Connecticut Facts
- In 1919 the US Congress ratified the 18th amendment (Prohibition) banning the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol. Only two states did not ratify it; they were Connecticut and Rhode Island.
- The world's first nuclear powered submarine, named the USS Nautilus, was built in 1954 in Groton, Connecticut.
- The oldest public library in the United States is the Scoville Memorial Library located in Salisbury, Connecticut.
- The first hamburger was sold in New Haven, Connecticut around 1900 from a small lunch wagon.
- Connecticut's economy relies heavily on crops such as poultry, dairy, numerous vegetables, fruit and tobacco.
- The town of Simsbury, Connecticut is the site of the first steel mill in America and also the place where the first safety fuse was manufactured.
- Mystic, Connecticut is home to Clyde's Cider Mill, the only steam-powered cider mill in the US.
Connecticut Historical Facts
- The first English settlers to arrive in Connecticut came in 1636.
- Even before the Revolutionary War officially began, tensions were high between Americans and the British in Connecticut. Many British loyalist were forced to leave their homes. Because most of the battles took place in surrounding states, Connecticut was able to assist the Continental army by supplying needed goods and services.
- Old Newgate Prison, in East Granby Connecticut, is now a historic site. It went from being the first copper mine in the U.S. to housing prisoners during the American Revolutionary War. In 1790 it became the first state prison in the United States.
- In 1777, at the peak of the Revolutionary War, British armies set fire to and looted the town of Danbury for nearly a week.